Aggrieved indigenous contractors have announced plans to take over and open toll gates at Chingeni in Ntcheu and Kalinyeke in Dedza on September 24, 2024, after the Roads Fund Administration (RFA) failed to pay them over K15 billion, despite repeated pleas and protests.
The contractors, who claim to have been neglected and victimized by RFA, the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, and the Ministry of Finance, say they have been left with no choice but to take matters into their own hands. They argue that the toll gates generate hundreds of millions of kwacha per month, and yet, they have not been paid for their work.
The contractors, led by Mabcata, have been pushing for payment since May 21, 2024, when they presented a petition to the RFA CEO. Partial payments were made in June and July but were stopped again, leaving the contractors in a precarious financial situation.
“We are fully aware that the toll gates generate hundreds of millions of kwacha per month, and yet, we have not been paid. This is a clear indication that we are not prioritized as key players in the implementation of the country’s development projects,” said the contractors in a statement.
The contractors have emphasized that they intend to conduct a peaceful takeover and opening of the toll gates, and they expect the RFA to ensure that the demonstration remains peaceful.
